this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2023
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[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (7 children)

which lists religious belief as a group covered by the law

If followers of a denomination of the Invisible pink unicorn (bbHhh) are provoked by people wearing pink clothes because one of their holy books says such people should receive the death penalty, does that therefor make wearing pink clothes illegal in Sweden?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (3 children)

No, it doesn't? Laws are interpreted by legal practitioners and judges, and the intentionality of the law is taken into account. One of the main intentions of this particular law is protecting Jews from persecution, and protecting Muslims from the same isn't a huge stretch. Sure, you could argue that invisible pink unicorn followers are a protected group, but no one would take you seriously in Sweden. You are arguing an extreme interpretation in bad faith.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Yes, but the law you proposed would allow that to happen. That isn't a straw man, it's your proposed idea not being very good.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

It's not my proposed idea, it's an actual, contemporary Swedish law which has existed since 1948. What is up for debate is how that law is to be interpreted in this instance, what constitutes "creed" (in, perhaps, a better translation of the original Swedish instead of "religious belief"), and what constitutes a "message" and whether burning a Quran is valid criticism of Islam or if doing it at that time and place is a hate crime targeting Muslims. It hasn't been tried in the Swedish supreme court whether Quran burning in certain contexts like the recent events is illegal under that law or not.

Technically, sure, you could argue that everything can be a religious belief/creed and any belief is covered under that law. But that is not how the law is interpreted and used in practice. I would consider that a strawman argument then, because it intentionally misrepresents the spirit of that law.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

That makes sense. I guess I don't really see the point of the law. If a message of hate goes too far, it would already fall other applicable laws against harassment or discrimination. Why does there need to be legislation specifically protecting against hate crimes?

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